The most common makeup mistake that I’ve seen Filipinas make is thick, solid eyebrows that approach a crunchy appearance. I think it’s because many of us learned how to do our eyebrows from YouTube and Instagram beauty gurus, which is fine, except that their makeup is created under bright lighting and filters. In real life though, it can look quite heavy. Keep this in mind when doing your own brows. Whatever happens, the humble spoolie is your best friend! Of course, a good formula that works with your application style is important too.

Often I feel lucky that Manila is so close to beauty manufacturing capitals like Japan, Korea, Thailand, and China. We get so many innovations here much earlier than the Western side of the world! One such newfangled concept is the recently released K-Palette Lasting Eyebrow Tint Pen (P845). This promises to deliver the same days-long (!) staying power of the ubiquitous peel-off brow tint, which K-Palette also started offering in 2017. The difference here is that you don’t need to let it “cure” for a few hours and there is absolutely no peeling involved. Interesting, right?

Recently, Sunnies Face released their third product: the Lifebrow duo consisting of a retractable skinny pencil and a grooming gel. The promotional photos were truly gorgeous, but what hooked me was the smallness of the grooming gel’s brush, which is not something we see in the market that often. I thought the price was right, and there was no store queue at the UP Town Center branch, so I went to buy them as soon as they launched.

I’ll confess: sometimes I cringe when I’m complimented about my ‘Korean’ face. I appreciate the intention, but I also can’t help but want to argue about how much skill it takes and the kind of mental dissection I do to make people (myself included) achieve K-Beauty without looking too contrived.

Ellana Cosmetics has been part of my life for almost a decade now. I remember discovering it when I was still in college (around 2008-2009) and falling in love with the fact that their mineral foundation was so pigmented and long-wearing for the price. It’s the foundation I wore on my graduation! I’ve tried so many of their products since then, and eventually, I got to meet the founder Theresa Carbonel-Buenaflor and her husband, Diego around five years ago. We’ve worked together but most important to me is that we’ve become friends who randomly hang out to catch up.

When it comes to makeup, it seems like every Filipino beauty fan is obsessed with having perfect arches. It takes some practice even to do easy, breezy brows and it can be overwhelming to have so many types of brow products to choose from. If you’re just starting out, brow powders are one of the easiest eyebrow formulations to master! It’s a good pick for any kind of brow, and you can find budget-friendly options for under P600 and under P500.

I've tried so many eyebrow formulas at this point, but I always keep coming back to pencils. They're the fastest to work with and delivers near flawless results most of the time. Staying power, while variable, remains generally good across different brands. Truly, it's hard to go wrong with a feathery pencil in a shade that matches you!

I always come with a positive mindset whenever I try new products. In the decade that I've tested hundreds of products for Project Vanity, I've come to understand that each has its pros and cons and that what works for some may not work for me (that rolls the other way round too). Beauty, I love to say, is so personal. We buy things for different reasons and not all of them is based purely on how effective the product is.

That said, I didn't initially intend to write this review of some Glossier products I picked up online. There are other things for me to write about but Den our Managing Editor convinced me it should be out there. So why not? 

Brown is probably one of the most useful colors in makeup artistry. It allows us to contour our features, add contrast in strategic areas, and can be used pretty much anywhere from our scalp to our toes. Happy Skin was onto something when they created their new Eye Can Do It 3-Way Palette (P699 at happyskincosmetics.com) as this contains two versatile shades of brown that glide and blend easily on skin. Let's take a closer look!

Any self-respecting beauty girl knows that one of the core tenets of millennial beauty is this: kilay is life. Full, perfectly-groomed Insta-ready (though not necessarily Instagram) eyebrows are "in", leading to any number of products catering to them, from liquid brow liners to peel-off “tattoo” tints. But while women have embraced rocking the power brow, one had to wonder... how might guys feel about trying the trend?

Move over, Instagram brows - Korean straight brows are in. They're perfect for creating a look that's sweet, innocent, and oh-so young! Naturally, they pair well with Hallyu-inspired gradient lips and puppy eyeliner. If you've attempted it before and ended up with a solid block instead of feathery frames, we're here to help you, dear reader, to achieve your K-Drama goals. Snagging an oppa on the side is just a plus!

A couple of days ago, I came across this video where guys were getting facial hair waxed. Then when I looked at the comment section (big mistake), there were comments that said how these men were “pussies”, or accusing them of being feminine. Sigh pie, it saddens me that men get judged for simply wanting to groom themselves! It’s really not anyone’s business what people want to do with themselves, whether it be removing body hair or wearing makeup. The process of grooming not only makes one look clean and neat, it’s also important me-time for focusing on what we need mentally and emotionally! Men also enjoy the feeling of relaxation and rejuvenation when they get groomed so why should this exclusively be a "girl thing"?

In the era post-2000s bushy brow revival, there are #blessed girls... and then there’s me.

Ladies and gentlefolk, I will not mince words: my brows are a pair of jerks. While practice has allowed me to more-or-less perfect the rest of my makeup routine (even the dreaded winged liner causes me no anxiety), the very thought of having to shape my brows has me exhausted. Not only are they sparse to begin with - they’re also very uneven and ridiculously unruly. While getting K-pop bangs has helped my struggles some, I still spend a ridiculous amount of time and effort getting my eyebrows anywhere close to presentable. In fact, I was even tempted to spring for microblading, if only to cut down on my daily prep time. Unfortunately, my fear of needles trumped my need for better arches.

In recent years, Pinays have become more and more kilay-conscious. It used to be that the general pulse for minimum makeup was face powder and lip gloss but now, many women swear that they'd never leave home without drawing their brows on. I feel naked without them is an oft-heard sentiment, followed by the overused but appropriate #kilayislife.

This rings particularly true for those with less than perfect eyebrows, a.k.a. 99% of the population. We try our best to copy the on-fleek looks we see in YouTube videos and on Instagram but the truth is, technique is only one part of the solution. It's also important to know which is the right type of brow product for your particular condition. Today, we tackle the most common eyebrow problems and the best ways to fill them in!

I hate to admit it, but my eyebrows have become thinner and finer over the years. It's just genetics, I suppose; my mom has fine hair too and we have the same eyebrows! Thank goodness for brow troubleshooters and techniques that can help me achieve full arches. It's a combination of techniques I've observed from makeup artists and what I learned from watercolor painting. If you have the same problem as mine, perhaps you'll find this specific routine useful!

The greatest beauty mistake of my life lasted ten years. I grew up in the 90s - the era of brown lipsticks, spaghetti strap tops, Rachel hair, and yes, skinny brows. It makes me cringe to see photos of myself from that time, and it took me another decade to finally grow out my eyebrows to their originally full state. Suffice to say, I spent those ten years looking for products that would temporarily resurrect my missing kilay!

My brows are in much better shape now but like my fellow PV girls, the obsession for perfect kilay is real. Here's what we're currently using to cheat our way into brow nirvana!